


you're the only thing that's going on in my mind

by klari19



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Bad Pick-Up Lines, M/M, Photography, Sexual Content, University
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 00:57:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10263344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klari19/pseuds/klari19
Summary: “What’s this project of yours about?”“It’s quite an interesting project, actually. My black and white photography teacher wants us to make an introspective study that’ll allow us to understand ourselves better as people—and as photographers, of course—by pushing our own limits.”“Which means…?”“He wants us to go beyond our zone of comfort.”“And for you, that is…?”Kuroo felt his smile waver as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his neck. But the more he stared at Akaashi the worse it became. He wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever, anyway.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [freakofnature](https://archiveofourown.org/users/freakofnature/gifts).



> Hey there J! 
> 
> You asked for model/photographer AU, and I am here to deliver. I hope you like the pairing I chose for this! Enjoy <3
> 
> Shoutout to my amazing beta, [Allie](http://haikyuumon.tumblr.com/), who not only made this into a beautiful french fry, but also enabled me and encouraged me _so much_ throughout this entire process. Thank you so much, dear friend!
> 
> Title taken from [Ugh! by The 1975](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXaU0QzByIM), a song which Allie and I felt like "sets the groove" of this fic.

The small coffee shop was empty save for Kuroo and two other clients. Outside, the weather was clear and just this side of warm—a perfect late-Spring morning. With the soft light coming in through the clear windows and the faint buzz of the coffee machines working inside the shop, everything was set to make the clients feel comfortable being there that day.

Kuroo, however, wasn’t feeling it.

While the calm atmosphere certainly had a relaxing effect on everyone else, Kuroo was unattained by it and, on the contrary, felt more anxious than ever. As a photography student he often had difficult assignments to do, but this one was by far the scariest one he’d ever been asked to complete. He would be extremely lucky if anything came out of this meeting at the coffee shop after he explained all the details.

Pure nervousness and absolute dread clouded his mind as he waited and kept thinking about the assignment’s guidelines, about what they were compelling him to do. He didn’t realize he’d been loudly drumming his fingers on the tabletop until a waiter gently asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”, snapping Kuroo’s attention back to reality.

“Ah—Not yet, thank you. I’m waiting for someone,” he replied, awkwardly clearing his throat.

The waiter nodded and turned away. Kuroo sighed discreetly and pulled himself away from the table, pressing his back against the backrest and sinking lower into his chair. Closing his eyes and rubbing the bridge of his nose between two fingers, Kuroo mentally reprimanded himself for losing his cool over a photography class assignment.

“Excuse me… Kuroo-san?” a soft voice rose nearby.

Kuroo’s heart jumped into his throat as his eyes snapped open. He sprang up from his chair, almost knocking the table over, and faced the person who had addressed him by name, the one he’d been waiting for.

“Y-yeah. Yes, that’s me. I’m Kuroo. Kuroo Tetsurou,” he stammered out, and offered his hand to the young man in front of him. The other shook it gently, and Kuroo’s palm was left warm from the softness of the delicate skin against his.

The newcomer was really, _really_ beautiful. ‘ _Way too beautiful to be a normal human being_ ,’ Kuroo thought, and realized his breath had caught in his throat. He coughed a little, then swallowed with difficulty, trying to go for one of his usual easygoing grins.

“I’m Akaashi Keiji,” the other said. “But I guess Bokuto must have told you that already.”

Akaashi Keiji, as Bokuto had certainly said in his texts, had short and wavy jet black hair in contrast with his pale skin. Searching and serious blue eyes, a straight nose, thin lips, and small eyebrows were all enclosed in his heart-shaped face, his smooth skin glinting softly in the light. His body, if shorter in height than Kuroo’s, seemed to radiate natural elegance and grace in its relaxed posture.  The stylish clothes he wore seemed to cover a surely lean and athletic body, perfect for modeling.

“Yeah,” Kuroo laughed softly, realizing he’d left Akaashi waiting for a response, and gestured to the table as he sat back down on his chair. Akaashi followed suit and sat at the chair opposite from his. “It’s nice to meet you, Akaashi.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Akaashi said. And if Kuroo hadn’t been looking, he’d have missed the small curl of Akaashi’s lips. He’d later realize that meant Akaashi felt at ease.

The waiter approached the table once more, and they ordered—black coffee for Kuroo, and green tea for Akaashi. Once the waiter was gone with their orders, Akaashi shifted in his chair to make himself more comfortable and placed his hands down on the tabletop. He watched Kuroo pensively, and Kuroo tried not to make his nervousness too apparent but it was hard to do so while being scrutinized by those deep blue eyes.

“May I ask how you and Bokuto know each other?” Akaashi asked, softly.

Kuroo smiled, content that this was Akaashi’s question and not something like ‘Why do you seem to be sweating so much?’

“We met back when we were both in high school. On his first day, he got lost on his way to school and ended up wandering in mine for a few hours.” Kuroo shook his head a bit, smiling more, and heard Akaashi chuckle gently. “I bumped into him at recess and we bonded quite quickly. Even though we weren’t in the same school we ended up seeing each other quite regularly after that, and our friendship only grew from then.” He breathed a laugh. Then, “How do you know him?”

“Oh, he was my upperclassman in high school.”

Kuroo’s eyebrows rose. “So… you’re the beloved classmate he never shuts up about!” Color rose to Akaashi’s cheeks as he averted his gaze and scratched his cheek gently. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile at that. “I feel dumb for not making the connection between that and ‘Akaashi Keiji, my friend who’s a model’,” Kuroo said.

“ _Aspiring_ model,” Akaashi corrected in a gentle tone. “I’m still not a professional in the field.”

“Still,” Kuroo said, dismissing the comment with a vague hand gesture. “He knows you’re good at it, which is why he recommended you to me.”

Kuroo’s stomach twisted again as the details of his assignment resurfaced in his mind. He was lucky that the waiter brought their orders just then, which gave him a much-needed moment of pause. He took a sip of his drink, feeling it burn his insides on its way down. He could care less.

“Speaking of,” Akaashi said, eyeing Kuroo through the steam of his tea as he held his cup under his chin, a light frown visible between his brows. “What’s this project of yours about?”

Kuroo swallowed and tried to flash Akaashi his cheekiest grin. “It’s quite an interesting project, actually. My black and white photography teacher wants us to make an introspective study that’ll allow us to understand ourselves better as people—and as photographers, of course—by pushing our own limits.”

Akaashi’s frown deepened a little, confusion clear on his face. “Which means…?”

“He wants us to go beyond our zone of comfort.”

“And for you, that is…?” Akaashi trailed off, putting his cup down to lean a little over the table and get closer to Kuroo, as if that’d make him understand better.

Kuroo felt his smile waver as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his neck. But the more he stared at Akaashi the worse it became. He wouldn’t be able to avoid it forever, anyway. “Nude photography,” he said at last, hoping his voice hadn’t shaken as much as he felt it had.

Akaashi’s eyebrows rose in understanding, and he leaned back into his chair, nodding. “I see. That’s why you’re so nervous.”

Squirming in his chair, Kuroo nodded at the table, unable to look Akaashi in the eyes now that he’d said it at last. He fixed his gaze on his fingers and didn’t even try to deny what Akaashi had guessed so easily.

“I understand if this makes you uncomfortable, so please don’t feel forced to model for me even though it’s an assignment,” Kuroo let out in a single breath, as if that would make the whole situation less terrible, fiercely picking at the skin around his nails.

“Kuroo-san,” Akaashi said, and the way his voice sounded made Kuroo raise his eyes immediately. Akaashi leaned forward with an elbow on the table, expression disbelieving. “ _You’re_ the one who’s uncomfortable here. I have no qualms about this. From what I understand, this assignment is meant to do exactly that, make you get over this unease you have. And if I can help you with the process, I will.” There was clear honesty in his voice and Kuroo could only blink at him in surprise, mouth slightly agape.

“You mean…”

“I agree. Yes.” Akaashi took a sip of his tea. “Besides,” he continued, his lips curling slightly against the rim of his mug, “I can’t say I haven’t thought about nude modelling at least once before.”

Kuroo swallowed, blinked. “O-okay.”

Akaashi breathed a laugh, and Kuroo wasn’t sure if he should feel slightly offended or slightly charmed by that. He was still debating on it when Akaashi spoke again.

“So, when do we start?” Akaashi asked.

✧ ✧ ✧

On the day Kuroo and Akaashi had agreed to begin the project, Kuroo spent the entire morning making his apartment look cleaner than it ever had. He wasn’t a dirty person, but there was still some dust here and there, some dirty dishes in the sink, and a few worn clothes lying around in his bedroom. He wanted everything to look neat when Akaashi came in.

When the doorbell rang, Kuroo quickly finished hiding the vacuum inside his closet and sped his way to the front door of the apartment. He stopped with his hand on the doorknob, feeling his heart beating frantically inside his chest, and drew in a deep breath to try to calm himself.

“Hey,” Kuroo said when he swung the door open, a smile on his lips.

“Kuroo-san, hello.”

Stepping to the side, Kuroo let Akaashi inside and closed the door behind him. Akaashi toed his shoes off and placed them by Kuroo’s, then shrugged off his coat and looked at Kuroo with a question in his eyes.

“Oh, you can hang it behind the door.”

Akaashi did so, leaving his satchel behind as well, before turning to follow Kuroo deeper inside the loft.

“This is a very nice apartment…” Akaashi spoke softly behind him. “Isn’t it too big for a single person though?”

“Ah, I used to live here with Bokuto. That was until he realized he had free housing at the university’s dorm because he’s an athlete.” Kuroo smiled fondly as he whispered, “That boy. Always so lost.”

“I see,” Akaashi replied simply. “And… yes.” Kuroo heard the smile in his voice as well.

“I can’t say I’m not glad that he still pays his part of the rent. I wouldn’t be able to afford it even though I like the place so much,” Kuroo continued, mostly speaking to himself as he looked out the large windows when they passed by the kitchen.

“He’s very lucky to have a wealthy family,” Akaashi murmured.

“Yeah.”

After the kitchen came the living room, and at the end of the hallway there were two doors facing each other—the one to the right led to Bokuto’s now-empty room, and the one to the left led to Kuroo’s. Although Akaashi had already agreed to the project, Kuroo hesitated as he stood before his door.

“If being with me inside my bedroom—”

Akaashi sighed and rolled his eyes, leaning his weight on one leg and placing a hand on his hip. Keeping Kuroo from finishing his sentence, he said, “If you’re like this it’s going to take you years to take a few pictures. How much time do you have to finish this project?”

“Um. Two weeks.”

Akaashi waved a hand at Kuroo. “There you have it. Now stop worrying and let’s get started.”

Unable to keep himself from smiling, honest and wide, Kuroo said, “Akaashi, you’re amazing.”

“Not at all,” Akaashi mumbled, stepping forward. Kuroo could see the redness on the back of his neck as he crossed through the door to Kuroo’s room before him.

Akaashi was visibly impressed by the size of the room and the arrangement of the furniture inside of it. It almost looked like an authentic photography studio with all its tripods, panels, lamps, and props taking up most of the large space—except for Kuroo’s “cozy corner”, as he called it, which consisted of a simple bed, a drawer, and a nightstand with a small reading lamp on it. The large windows—which made up most of the wall that faced outside—were obscured by sheer plain curtains, which created a comfortable atmosphere inside.

“Wow,” was all Akaashi said as he stood still and stared.

Kuroo chuckled softly. “You seem to like it. I’m glad, because you’ll be spending a lot of time here in the next few days.” He felt color rise to his cheeks and turned his gaze to the other side of his room.

Nodding slowly, Akaashi turned to face Kuroo again. “Where do I…?” he trailed off, taking the collar of his shirt between two fingers and lifting it slightly.

Kuroo’s blood pumped once through his ears, deafening. “Oh.” He cleared his throat and pointed towards the shoji screens by his bed. “Over there,” he said.

Akaashi moved behind the panels, and soon the soft sound of clothes rustling made it to Kuroo’s ears as he prepared his photography gear. He drew in a deep breath to steel himself and wondered, not for the first time, if this project with Akaashi would actually help him get rid of his ridiculous unease.

Why he was so apprehensive about nude photography in the first place, Kuroo wasn’t sure. He’d stopped to think about it the days after he’d met with Akaashi… and he wasn’t entirely sure where his mind had taken him. He couldn’t say that it was because he’d never had sex because, in the end, modeling in front of a camera wasn’t meant to be sexy. (More than sexy, Akaashi was absolutely magnificent, but that was something Kuroo didn’t want to think about at the moment.) Maybe his lack of sexual experience was part of the unease, though. He’d never seen a fully naked body before in his adult life, therefore it made him anxious and made feel like he was intruding in Akaashi’s privacy.

Or maybe he was just a really anxious guy hiding behind a smug mask.

“Kuroo-san,” Akaashi said from somewhere within reality, and Kuroo’s conscience instantly jumped back to it.

Akaashi was standing in front of him, very naked and very real, and very much waiting for Kuroo to tell him what to do. Kuroo swallowed once, twice. Suddenly, he didn’t know what to do or say at all. It was as if Kuroo had forgotten all about being a photographer—except for the professional code that reminded him he couldn’t just blurt out how breathtaking Akaashi looked, in all his naked glory, even if it was just from his artist’s point of view.

“Just—just Kuroo is fine,” he stuttered out.

With a nod and a hum, Akaashi let Kuroo know that he understood at least part of what was going on. “Let’s take this slow,” Akaashi said. He pointed to a couch near the window and continued, “I’ll sit there first and you tell me if that’s alright. Kuroo.” He seemed to test the name experimentally.

Kuroo nodded, and he was glad that his hands remembered to pick up his camera from the worktable before he moved to follow Akaashi.

It was with the most elegant movements that Akaashi plopped down onto the cushions. He made himself comfortable with his back against the armrest and his legs resting before him on the couch, the one nearest to the backrest lifted to bend at the knee. When he turned to look at Kuroo he gracefully pressed his chin into his palm, his elbow resting easily on the armrest.

Now that his head was just a little clearer, Kuroo was really able to appreciate the true beauty of Akaashi’s lithe body. His fair skin—obviously waxed, Kuroo realized with a small shudder he wasn’t going to acknowledge—seemed to glow a little under the gentle light, and all his muscles and tendons rippled like calm waves underneath it.

With trembling hands, Kuroo lifted his camera to his face—but everything was too still, too quiet, too unnatural. He knew he wouldn’t be able to take a good picture like that. If he could only remember _anything_ about his classes—

“Ask me anything, _Kuroo_ ,” Akaashi whispered.

And it suddenly came back to him. It was the first and most important thing Kuroo had ever been told in his photography class— _get to know your model._

“Tell me about your hobbies, _Akaashi_ ,” Kuroo said, getting down on one knee in front of Akaashi to take a more comfortable position.

When Akaashi smiled, small and reserved, and started talking about reading and birdwatching and walks in the park, Kuroo began sensing it—that feeling when he knew the perfect moment to press down on the shutter button was coming.

 _Click_. A shot of Akaashi’s chest and stomach, his hand laid gracefully over it with his fingers lightly curled.

 _Click_. A shot of Akaashi’s bent knee, his milky inner thigh and strong calf embraced by the soft light, all elegant curves and delicate beauty.

 _Click_. A shot of Akaashi’s whole body, his face slightly turned away from the camera as he looked out the window, pensive and calm and beautiful.

✧ ✧ ✧

As the days passed and more pictures were taken, both men gradually grew accustomed to each other’s presence and started to feel much more comfortable around one another. More precisely, Kuroo began feeling less unease at seeing Akaashi lying naked somewhere in his studio. As for Akaashi, he didn’t stop making himself at home in Kuroo’s loft.

One day Akaashi suggested to take a few pictures on Kuroo’s bed, to give them a more natural feel, and Kuroo found the idea interesting. After a few shots, they decided to take the rest of them there.

Akaashi laid on Kuroo’s bed with his eyes closed, a forearm under his head and his whole body relaxed, in full display. The jut of his hips, the glow of his skin, the curve of his jaw—Kuroo’s eyes fell on each detail for just a few moments every time as he took in the image before him. When his gaze fell on Akaashi’s peaceful visage, Kuroo thought, ‘ _He looks...absolutely stunning,_ ’ frowning when he realized the hand holding his camera was shaking a little.

Kuroo cleared his throat, which was something Akaashi had made him realize he made out of habit when he was nervous, and immediately cursed himself for it. Akaashi’s eyes fluttered open just as Kuroo quickly brought his camera to his face, trying rather lamely to hide behind it. Akaashi didn’t seem to notice his failed attempt. Or, if he did, he didn’t exactly comment on it.

“Is something the matter, Kuroo-san?” Akaashi asked, voice as soft as always.

Kuroo wanted to tell him _no, everything is upside down and I have no idea what to do because I don’t understand any of it at all_ , but he settled for, “Just thinking about something a classmate told me the other day,” instead.

Akaashi didn’t nag him about his obvious jittering. “May I ask what it was?” he inquired, turning to lay on his side, elbow digging into the mattress and cheek resting into his palm.

“It was really dumb,” Kuroo said, shaking his head a little before snapping a picture of Akaashi’s bare shoulder.

Akaashi hummed, “Well, I won’t know how dumb it is if you don’t tell me about it.”

Breathing a laugh, Kuroo resigned himself to continue with whatever his brain was providing him with in that moment. “We were just goofing around at the end of class and he and some other people started saying... pickup lines. There’s this one that was quite nice, uh. I think it goes something like, ‘Are you from the south? Because you’re the only ten I see.’”

There was a moment of silence between the two. As Akaashi’s brows began furrowing, Kuroo felt his stomach bottom out.

“Wait,” Kuroo said slowly, feeling the heat rising quickly to his cheeks. “I messed it up.”

The sound of Akaashi’s laughter at that was enough to add five years to Kuroo’s lifespan. The sight of his face so open and cheerful and _stunning_ added another five. Kuroo stared at Akaashi with a smile as the other laughed. Kuroo stared at Akaashi’s flushed skin, at his chest rising and falling at a quick pace, at his eyelashes fanning over his cheeks, completely unknowing of how warm his own chest had grown.

Of course, after he’d calmed down, Akaashi didn’t ask why Kuroo had been thinking about pickup lines at a time like that.

✧ ✧ ✧

Two weeks went by in a flash, and at the end of them Kuroo had a little over a thousand pictures covering their daily sessions. A little over a thousand pictures depicting Akaashi naked and sprawled somewhere in his studio-slash-bedroom—mostly on his bed. He met up with Akaashi on the morning of the day he had to give away his finished project, and they chose together the ten pictures they liked best.

The first one was their top favorite, for both of them. It showed Akaashi lying down on his belly with his chin gingerly pressed onto his elbow, the rumpled bedsheets creating a sea of fabric around him. He was looking directly into the camera, his head tilted to the side a little, an alluring expression on his face, his lips slightly ajar.

Akaashi said that it “just has a _je-ne-sais-quoi_ that makes the composition look nice”, and Kuroo couldn’t make himself admit out loud that it sent a shiver down his spine (for different reasons, including but not limited to the nudity) so he just said that the intensity in Akaashi’s gaze made it feel like the viewer was included in some kind of secret. Akaashi nodded at that, humming thoughtfully while he stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

When Akaashi showed up at his doorstep after class that day, Kuroo didn’t send him away with the excuse that the project had already ended. On the contrary, he let him inside with a welcoming smile. Moments later, he didn’t even bat an eye when Akaashi undressed in his bedroom and flopped down onto his bed, grabbing a book from Kuroo’s bedside table and thumbing through it. Akaashi read peacefully while Kuroo took more pictures of him. Pictures that weren’t going anywhere or to anyone in particular, just for the two of them.

The entire situation was a silent acknowledgement from both of them: Akaashi liked spending time with Kuroo in his apartment, and Kuroo was grateful that Akaashi had helped him get over his nervousness.

✧ ✧ ✧

Kuroo wasn’t sure when exactly having a naked Akaashi reading a book while lying down on his belly on top of Kuroo’s bedsheets became a habit, a normal thing. All he knew was that, eventually, it did.

It was during one of those lazy and comfortable evenings when Akaashi was over that Kuroo really started wondering about it.

 _Click_. A shot of Akaashi’s fingers resting on his bare thigh—his other hand was off the shot, holding the book on his lap. “Akaashi,” Kuroo said. Akaashi hummed questioningly without taking his eyes off his book. “You know my project ended weeks ago, right?”

“I am very aware of that.” Akaashi flipped a page and continued reading.

 _Click_. A shot of Akaashi’s collarbones being kissed by the dim afternoon light. “But you keep coming here even so,” Kuroo observed.

“Yes. And you keep taking pictures of me.”

Kuroo hummed, “True. You don’t mind though.”

“I don’t.” Akaashi turned to look at him and— _Click_ —Kuroo snapped another picture of him. This one featured an close-up shot of one of his deep green eyes.

Finally plopping down on the bed next to Akaashi, Kuroo proceeded to look through his pictures as he lay on his stomach. He didn’t speak more about it because he thought there wasn’t any need, and he thought Akaashi felt the same about it but…

The sheets rustled softly at Kuroo’s side, and then, “Kuroo.” A mere whisper.

Upon hearing his name, Kuroo turned to the side—and felt his breath catch in his throat. Akaashi had moved closer to him, and his nose was now only a few inches away from Kuroo’s. Both their gazes dropped down to each other’s lips and then quickly went back up. Akaashi’s eyelashes fluttered, and Kuroo knew what was about to happen.

He was okay with it.

Whether it was Akaashi or Kuroo who leaned in first, neither of them knew. But that concern vanished like smoke in the wind at the first brush of their lips. Softness and warmth pressed gently against Kuroo’s lips and Kuroo responded in earnest, fitting Akaashi’s bottom lip between his and sucking lightly on it.

Quietly sighing into Kuroo’s mouth, Akaashi shifted closer to him. He pressed his side flush against Kuroo’s and slowly pushed him to lay on his side. Akaashi then slid a hand over Kuroo’s shoulder and to the back of his neck, lightly brushing his fingers over the sensitive skin until he guided them into Kuroo’s messy hair. It made Kuroo’s skin feel electrified, and he subconsciously pressed his mouth harder against Akaashi’s.

At some point, Kuroo realized he was now on his back and that Akaashi was half straddling him. His eyes snapped open and he pulled away from the kiss with a gasp.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he murmured a little out of breath, his hands going from cupping Akaashi’s face to resting on his shoulders.

There was surprise in Akaashi’s expression when he pulled away. “I thought… But we can stop.”

Kuroo frowned. “You thought what?”

“Um.” Akaashi averted his gaze just as his cheeks colored. “I thought… Maybe you wanted this. But if you don’t—”

“‘This’, what?”

Akaashi looked him in the eyes. “Sex. You’re so dense, Kuroo,” he said, but there was no heat in his voice, just something like… fondness.

Kuroo choked on his spit, falling into a coughing fit that lasted a few long seconds, and blinked up at Akaashi through watery eyes, unable to come up with a response. Akaashi looked down at him with concern, hesitantly patting his sternum to try to give him some kind of relief.

“If you don’t we can go back to the way we were a few moments ago—”

“Yes,” Kuroo said, and Akaashi’s expression fell a little. “No! I mean—ugh, goodness. Give me a moment, please.” Kuroo closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again Akaashi was looking at him with discreet expectancy in his gaze. “I do want to have sex with you, Akaashi. I never thought _you_ would want to, though,” he said softly, brushing his knuckles over Akaashi’s cheekbone.

“Maybe it didn’t cross my mind at first. Maybe I just really wanted to be of some help for your project when we first met, but—” Akaashi’s gaze fell to Kuroo’s collarbones which were partly visible beneath the collar of his V-neck, and trailed a finger over the small bumps, “—although your pickup lines are really bad, I discovered a sweet and interesting person in you. And, somewhere along the way, I began feeling drawn to you.”

Akaashi looked up at Kuroo through his long lashes, and Kuroo felt warmth bloom deep inside his chest. Akaashi’s pupils were blown, and under his eyes his cheeks seemed to glisten, bright red. Kuroo swallowed, shaken by the mere sight of that.

“You think my pickup lines are bad?” Kuroo asked softly, pouting a little. When Akaashi’s face fell again, Kuroo quickly kissed the apology off his lips. He chuckled. “I know they are, don’t worry. And, on retrospect, I think it was the same for me,” he acknowledged.

When Akaashi smiled, bright and beautiful, Kuroo couldn’t help lifting his head and kissing him again, long and deep. Akaashi shifted over him, sliding his leg fully over Kuroo’s waist to straddle him properly, and pressed himself against him. The movement caused him to rub against Kuroo, and it ripped a throaty groan from both of them.

Before things went further in their heat, Kuroo decided he needed to be honest with Akaashi. He pulled away from Akaashi, slower this time, and looked into his eyes. “Akaashi, I—I forgot to say something earlier…” Kuroo felt hotness rise to his cheeks, and he had difficulty keeping his gaze steady on Akaashi’s. “I’ve never done, uh—this.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through it,” Akaashi said without missing a beat. “We can start slowly…” he murmured, and kissed Kuroo gently.

“‘Start’?” Kuroo asked as he came up for air. “I must say, I like the implications of a ‘next time’ in that,” he said lowly and waggled his eyebrows at Akaashi. Kuroo saw the annoyed smile trying to pull at Akaashi’s lips when he said that, and he felt laughter start building inside his own chest until—

Akaashi rolled his body sweetly against Kuroo’s, making both of them sigh at the sensation, and tugged a little at the hem of Kuroo’s shirt. “I want you to do a lot of things to me so, yes, there will be a next time. Times, if you want. Now sit up,” Akaashi murmured against his lips.

Kuroo could have sworn he blacked out for a second there.

After a short moment of gaping and contemplating the universe and his incredible luck, Kuroo lifted himself up and leaned his back against the wall, a pillow stuffed between the small of his back and the wall itself. Akaashi’s hands joined Kuroo’s at the bottom of his shirt and helped him get rid of it.

Once he’d regained his voice, Kuroo said, “It’s a little strange how I’ve seen you naked for weeks, but you’re only going to see me naked now.” He chuckled softly.

Akaashi leaned back on his heels and helped Kuroo get his sweatpants and underwear off, throwing them haphazardly behind him with an uncharacteristic urgency. The look in Akaashi’s eyes when Kuroo was finally fully naked before him told Kuroo everything he needed to know.

“It was worth the wait. Honestly,” Akaashi said, voice strained as he crawled forward and closed his lips hungrily over Kuroo’s. Kuroo responded with a chuckle that didn’t smother Akaashi’s enthusiasm in the least.

When Akaashi sat down on Kuroo’s lap, their bare, taut and hot skin brushed sweetly. Akaashi whined breathlessly into Kuroo’s mouth, and Kuroo’s hand flew to grip Akaashi’s hip tightly. They moved together slowly, hips rolling leisurely against each other, harsh breaths and low moans brushing each other’s cheeks, lips, and noses.

“Do you have any lube?” Akaashi whispered against his lips.

Kuroo flushed, redder than he was already. “This is going to be embarrassing, but…” He pointed at the pillow next to them.

Akaashi leaned to the side, a small smile on his face when his hand came out with a small bottle between its fingers. “Nice,” he said simply, and pressed his lips to Kuroo’s again.

The cap popped open. Blindly, Akaashi reached for Kuroo’s other hand where it was fisted into the sheets. Kuroo’s fingers gave under Akaashi’s soft touch, and shivered as Akaashi poured a generous amount of the thick fluid onto his palm. Kuroo spread the lube over his fingers, and followed as Akaashi guided his hand between their bodies. Kuroo almost missed the way Akaashi’s face melted, eyelids falling shut and lips trembling as they opened to let out a choked breath, Kuroo’s own eyes almost rolling back into their sockets when he gripped both of them between his long fingers.

Kuroo drew in a sharp, stuttering breath when he felt the press of Akaashi’s hot skin against his. He would have forgotten to move his hand, wanting to draw out the moment of that first amazing feel, if it hadn’t been for the soft yet insistent tug of Akaashi’s fingers around his wrist. Kuroo got the message, and slowly slid his hand downwards.

He thought he heard himself moan, but it was drowned by Akaashi’s voice. The sound rippled through Kuroo, making his entire body grow hotter and his lower abdomen feel even tighter. He was almost too shaken by that to remember moving his hand, once again, but his subconscious did the work for him. Akaashi’s voice came again in a stutter as he rocked his hips against Kuroo’s and into his slick hand, Akaashi’s mouth pressing against his temple and his hand gripping Kuroo’s bicep.

Akaashi’s hips rolled in a languid rhythm against Kuroo’s, adding pressure to the slide of skin against skin. Kuroo felt muscles and bones move under his fingers of his other hand, gripping Akaashi’s hip to _ground himself, for heaven’s sake_ . When his hand shifted to grip the back of Akaashi’s thigh, under the curve of his backside, he felt— _finally felt_ —how smooth and perfect and warm Akaashi’s waxed skin felt under his fingertips.

Kuroo’s eyes fluttered close, and his mouth went to Akaashi’s pulse like it was what would keep him alive. The skin was soft and moist under his lips, tasty and perfect. Akaashi’s natural smell filled his lungs when he inhaled, then sucked hard at Akaashi’s supple skin. It pulled a high-pitched whine and a shudder from Akaashi, and Kuroo smiled into his neck.

“Akaashi, look at me,” Kuroo demanded softly, pulling away from Akaashi’s neck, and Akaashi complied.

For the nth time since Kuroo had met Akaashi, all the air was knocked out of his lungs as he gazed at his graceful face. This time, Kuroo found an explicitly arousing beauty in Akaashi’s flushed cheeks, neck, and chest, in his half-lidded eyes, his pupils blown in pleasure, in his sweat-slicked hair sticking to his temples, and in his shiny, trembling lips.

He was truly _magnificent_. And Kuroo was very weak.

Kuroo leaned forward and Akaashi met him halfway, lips bruising and sloppy in their heated desire to suck the air out of each other’s mouths. Teeth clicked together and bit softly at each other’s wet, plump, and reddened skin. Kuroo breathed in each and every one of Akaashi’s shuddering exhales like the oxygen he needed to live.

Then, Kuroo began hearing the slick sounds coming from between them. They were already quite obscene, but the more they moved against each other, the louder they became. If Kuroo had been a spectator of the scene he would have been abashed, but now the lewdness of it all only spurred him on. He collected the beads of wet warmth into his palm, rubbing the most sensitive part of their skin as he did, groaning softly at the feeling of slowly increasing pleasure in his gut.

Akaashi’s voice came in a broken whisper, “Kuroo— _ah_ —I’m getting there… You?”

“Yeah,” Kuroo gasped.

And from then on it was but a blurry mess in Kuroo’s memory.

He remembered how Akaashi’s hips had fallen out of rhythm for a moment after he said that, then had renewed their pace at a much higher speed. He remembered how his own hips had somehow gotten a conscience of their own and had begun thrusting up to meet Akaashi, the slick slide of their skin against one another ripping moan after moan, each louder than the other, from their throats.

He remembered how his name had sounded when it fell from Akaashi’s lips as his fingers tightened around Kuroo’s arms. He remembered Akaashi’s full-body shiver just before the space between them was filled with wet warmth. And he vaguely remembered groaning into Akaashi’s neck, one hand tight enough to bruise his hip and the other unrelenting between them, when he felt himself unravel.

The next thing he remembered was Akaashi collapsing against him, his spent body a comfortable weight on Kuroo’s own exhausted one. Kuroo leaned against the wall at his back and cradled Akaashi in his arms, first getting his hand out of the way and making both of them exhale as his fingers gave a final brush to their softening skin. He cleaned his hand on the bedsheets, making a mental note to change them later. Akaashi nuzzled into the crook of Kuroo’s neck as he tried to steady his ragged breathing, tiny shocks coursing through his body every once in a while and making Kuroo’s arms tighten around him after each shiver.

And Kuroo stared at the ceiling, eyelids heavy as he blinked and mind mushy when he tried to think. He gave up on anything remotely rational and settled for rubbing his hands over the small of Akaashi’s back, trying to make his touch gentle and soothing. When Akaashi sighed into his neck Kuroo knew he’d succeeded at least a little bit.

Kuroo couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips then, the events of the past hour or so coming back to his mind and starting to really settle into him. “I’m happy,” he whispered, his warm breath brushing over Akaashi’s still-rosy neck, his fingers soft over Akaashi’s moist skin.

Shifting slightly, Akaashi moved to press a kiss on Kuroo’s neck. “Me too,” Akaashi breathed in reply, and Kuroo could hear the soreness in his throat. He felt himself blush at that and hoped Akaashi wouldn’t feel the warmth on his skin pressed against his. “I wish you’d have contacted me about your project much sooner.”

Kuroo burst into laughter, his eyes falling shut as he let his head thud softly against the wall, Akaashi bouncing softly against his chest and chuckling gently as well. It was a good feeling. Although they were sticky and sweaty, they were together and happy.

“Yeah. I wish so, too, honestly.”

And it was all that mattered.

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr @ kuroosthighz / clara-wrote-once


End file.
